Monadnock Music started in 1966 when James Bolle brought musicians from the big cities to make recordings and play a few concerts in the quiet Nelson Meeting House. People who happened to hear a concert brought their friends to the next one or one the next year. No one could quite believe that musical performance of such high caliber was flourishing in this rural corner of New Hampshire. Astonishingly it did, and over the next 53 years, hundreds of musicians from all over the country have performed at over 18 towns around the Monadnock region.

Monadnock Music continues to develop and expand its artistic and educational programs in keeping with its dedication to the region and the many communities that it serves. Now in its 53rd season, Monadnock Music has been a stable and integral part of the cultural life of the New Hampshire and the Monadnock region and has remained firmly attached to its original goal of combining music of the highest quality with community service.

Monadnock Music offers two types of programming and several outreach initiatives.

While the Town House Concerts are OUR large-scale ticketed events, A size and scope of which are not usually produced for classical music locally, the Village Concerts are designed to make classical music accessible to lower-income and underserved populations. They are "pay-what-you-can" with open admission Chamber Music Concerts that rotate, visiting 9 of 18 different unique villages throughout the region each summer.

For outreach, our Lend An Ear! Program brings classical music into elementary schools in over 12 towns. The summer Internship Program employs 3-5 individuals each season to give hands on experience with music production and interaction with our guest artists.

Monadnock Music believes collaboration is integral to being a thriving member of the community. Our off-season programming is a great opportunity to partner with other non-profits to share resources and audiences. Last year we produced several events including a Surrealist Dinner Party & Concert with Machina Arts, a Chinese New Year Concert & Dim Sum with the Mariposa Museum. October 20th we will be hosting our second annual Stargazing Concert with Cathedral of the Pines.

Our concerts showcase several Boston groups including the Boston Modern Orchestra Project as well as the Harvard Summer Chorus, which we partner with for recordings and our Symphony Series.

Monadnock Music's vision is to connect people to music and each other through adventurous musical performances and teaching. We aspire to foster an audience of classical music lovers, both through providing programming for those who have moved to the region from metropolitan areas that boasted a strong music presence, and by introducing new attendees of all ages to their first classical music experiences by creating intimate and affordable or free events. Monadnock Music was one of the first summer classical music festivals in New England and our goal is to lead the way forward by bringing quality music to the Monadnock Region.

Monadnock Music is all about accessibility. Classical Music is not just for a certain income bracket or metropolitan area. It can and should be enjoyed by everyone.

This year we are beginning a Music in the Workplace program where participating Corporate Sponsors will have a visit from the Monadnock Music String Quartet right in their own office to offer their employees a unique and intimate concert experience at no cost or hassle to their daily lives. Employees will be able to unplug for 30 minutes to enjoy world-class music while they take their lunch or a break and take home information on the composers and the work they heard. Each business will have the opportunity to invite patrons or partners to enjoy the performance as well.